U.S. Colt Model 1911A1 Semi Automatic Pistol

The Model 1911A1 utilized a different sight configuration than
the earlier M1911 and included a curved mainspring housing with
frame milling to improve trigger access. SN 1090739

The M1911 pistol emerged from the "War to End Wars" with a
reputation for being superior both to its predecessors in U.S.
service and to sidearms then in use by other military forces around
the world. John Browning's design, with its large tolerances, was
extremely reliable in the mud and dirt of the battlefield, and the
effectiveness of its potent .45 ACP cartridge had proven itself in
combat.

Although no postwar changes were contemplated, several
modifications were incorporated into the frame, trigger, grip
safety, and hammer of the original M1911 design. The improved
pistol was adopted by the Army in 1923 as the M1911M1, later
changed to M1911A1. Existing M1911s would not be modified for
reasons of economy, but new production models were to include
designated changes, and parts for these pistols were required to be
interchangeable with the earlier M1911.

Colt also included these improvements in their Government Model
.45 pistols offered for commercial sale. Subsequent modifications
to military .45s included the substitution of plastic grips and a
gray, non-reflective "parkerized" finish in place of the original
walnut grip panels and blued finish. During the 1920s, efforts were
made by the Army to standardize production drawings and gauges to
ensure complete interchangeability of parts between pistols
produced by various contractors.

Although First World War-produced M1911s were required by
contract to be interchangeable, this goal was never achieved.
Springfield Armory produced both drawings and gauges based on the
wartime process used by Remington-Union Metallic Cartridge, but
these were found to be quite different from Colt-produced examples.
A revised set of standard production drawings and gauges based on
Colt's manufacturing process were produced in 1936.

This project was both expensive and time-consuming, but the
effort proved to be invaluable in setting up new contract
production lines for these pistols. Approximately two million
M1911A1s were manufactured during the Second World War with few of
the problems that had accompanied contract production during the
"Great War." Colt manufactured the M1911 and M1911A1 pistols
continuously from their initial adoption by the Army throughout the
Second World War, and was the sole producer of these pistols
between 1919 and 1940. Between the wars, few pistols were purchased
by the U.S. military as sufficient numbers were on hand to meet
peacetime needs. During this time, Colt successfully sold the
pistol overseas. The military forces of Mexico and Argentina both
adopted them as their standard service pistol, and Colt produced
these pistols under British military contract after the war
began.

In addition, the firm's commercial sales were bolstered by the
inclusion of the new National Match .45, Super 38 Automatic, and
Ace .22 caliber pistols, all built on the M1911A1 frame. Even after
the outbreak of war in Europe, U.S. military purchases of war
materiel continued to languish. As the international situation
continued to deteriorate in 1940, the United States declared a
limited emergency and began a peacetime mobilization. The War
Department placed additional orders with Colt, and the Army set out
to identify other potential military contractors.

In an effort to reduce the amount of time required to achieve
full production of materiel essential to national defense, the Army
Appropriations Act of 1938 authorized funding for the issuance of
"educational orders" to train private contractors in production
methods for various arms and armaments. Surveys conducted by
Ordnance officers identified qualified companies, and these firms
were then invited to bid on contracts to produce limited numbers of
specific items. The costs associated with tooling up for production
were born by the government, both for educational orders and for
later wartime contracts.

In January 1940, Singer Manufacturing Company, an Elizabeth, New
Jersey-based producer of sewing machines, and Harrington &
Richardson Arms Company of Worcester, Massachusetts, received
educational orders for the production of 500 M1911A1 pistols and
related tools. Both Colt and Springfield Armory provided technical
assistance to the two contractors. Singer-produced pistols were
delivered to Springfield Armory by December 1941, and these were
distributed to Air Force personnel. The company was given a
contract for an additional 15,000 pistols, but Singer's production
of artillery fire control directors was deemed a higher priority,
and this contract was later canceled.

Due to their high quality and limited numbers, Singer M1911A1
pistols are highly prized by modern collectors. Harrington &
Richardson was in the process of a bankruptcy reorganization and
was able to produce fewer than 20 pistols, none of which were
accepted by the Army before their contract was terminated in June
1942.

However, the firm was able to obtain or manufacture most of the
items required for production of the M1911A1. This equipment, as
well as that used by Singer and First World War-vintage tooling and
machinery from Remington-U.M.C. was shipped to the Remington Rand
factory in Syracuse, New York for subsequent redistribution to
other contractors and sub-contractors for the .45 semi-auto pistol.
When the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor brought the United States
into the war, the need for arms of all types quickly became
critical.

Between 1941 and 1945, Colt was primarily engaged in the
manufacture of machine guns, but M1911A1 production continued as
well. The firm provided technical assistance to contract
manufacturers of these pistols. Colt suspended production of its
Government Model pistols in 1942, and more than 6,000 unsold guns
were restamped with new serial numbers and Ordnance markings and
parkerized before being transferred to the Army. Commercial model
slides, magazines, and other parts were also diverted to fill
military orders. Colt produced more than 400,000 M1911As before
cancellation of military contracts in September 1945.

The Ithaca Gun Company of Ithaca, New York had also been invited
to submit a prewar bid for an educational order, but before their
bid was received, the Army discontinued this program. The firm
received an order for 60,000 pistols in mid-1942, and additional
contracts were issued as the war progressed. Initial orders were
filled using both newly-produced parts and some 6,000 surplus Colt
receivers remaining from First World War production. Ithaca
produced approximately 340,000 pistols, or about 20 percent of the
total output during the Second World War.

The largest producer of the M1911A1 was Remington Rand, a
manufacturer of office equipment which had its roots in the
Remington Arms Company of Ilion, New York. Remington Rand's
Syracuse, New York plant turned out more than one million .45
semi-auto pistols, more than 50 percent of the total wartime
production for the M1911A1. Production began with an initial order
for 125,000 in March 1942 and continued until the summer of 1945.
In 1944 alone, the firm manufactured nearly 560,000 M1911A1s,
exceeding the total wartime production of any other contractor,
while achieving the lowest production costs of any M1911A1
manufacturer. Union Switch and Signal, a subsidiary of the
Westinghouse Air Brake Company located in the Pittsburgh suburb of
Swissvale, Pennsylvania, became the fourth and final wartime
contractor for the M1911A1 when it accepted an order for 200,000
pistols in May 1942.

Although this firm was a manufacturer of railroad equipment,
U.S.&S. produced a variety of ordnance materiel during both
world wars. As with Ithaca and Remington Rand, production pistols
were assembled from parts produced both in-house and from other
suppliers. As U.S.&S. began production, the Army advised the
firm that its contract would be canceled due to a projected decline
in requirements for the M1911A1, but Ordnance officials substituted
a contract for the production of M1 carbine receivers, slides, and
bolts.

The final shipment of 55,000 U.S.&S.-produced M1911A1s left
the plant in November 1943. The M1911and M1911A1 have the
distinction of having served longer than any other military arm in
the history of the United States. Although they would remain the
standard sidearm for U.S. forces until 1985, no additional examples
were produced after 1945, and those remaining in military
inventories through subsequent wars were subject to overhaul or
rebuilding programs before being returned to the holsters of
American servicemen and women.

Although sometimes criticized, these pistols provided American
troops with a reliable and potent personal defense arm while
becoming the stuff of legends as a result of their service in the
desert, the jungle, and in mud, ice, and snow on numerous
battlefields around the world. During their long service life,
these Browning-designed and Colt-developed pistols have amassed a
record that will likely remain unequaled by current or future
military arms.